Generally, work cells are used to produce welds or welded parts. There are at least two broad categories of work cells, including robotic work cells and semi-automatic work cells. In robotic work cells, the scheduling and performing of welding operations is largely automated, with little operator involvement. Thus, these cells generally have a relatively low labor cost and a relatively high productivity. However, their repeating operations cannot easily adapt to varying welding conditions and/or sequences.
In contrast, semi-automatic work cells (e.g., work cells involving at least some operator welding) generally provide less automation as compared to robotic work cells and, accordingly, have a relatively higher labor cost and a relatively lower productivity. Nevertheless, there are many instances where using a semi-automatic welding work cell can actually be advantageous over robotic work cells. For example, a semi-automatic welding work cell can more easily adapt to varying welding conditions and/or sequences.